


growing pains

by gumdropdead



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Growing Up, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:07:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22739314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumdropdead/pseuds/gumdropdead
Summary: In the eighth grade, it was tradition for Julie and Susie to go to the mall together every Saturday.
Relationships: Julie/Susie (Dead by Daylight)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	growing pains

In the eighth grade, it was tradition for Julie and Susie to go to the mall together every Saturday. 

The day always started the same, with Julie and her mom picking Susie up from her house at noon. Susie’s mom would give her a couple bills and a kiss on the cheek (she always found that so embarrassing) before sending her on her way. 

The mall itself got boring pretty quick. Everything in town did, really. It was small with dim lighting and floors that were never fully clean. There were more vacant stores than she cared to count and the stores that were open always had the same people in it. Susie never complained though. Julie was her best friend, and if going to the mall every Saturday made her happy then Susie was happy.

And if looking at prom dresses every Saturday made her happy then Susie was happy. 

It was never their goal, they weren’t even near the age of going to prom. They would start off looking at the same stuff in the comic book store (maybe swipe a pin or two) and just ended up looking at glittery and shiny dresses with prices too high and sizes that didn’t suit Susie. They always looked just right for Julie though, who was taller and skinnier with straight teeth and allowed to shave (Julie said it wasn’t fun to shave but neither was being made fun of during gym). 

Susie was never jealous of her though.

At least, she was pretty sure she wasn’t. She never felt bad looking at Julie like she did with other girls. Julie always filled her with awe and wonder, as she posed in a slim fitting green gown to twirling in a short navy blue dress. She would hold Susie’s hands and lead her to dresses she felt that fit her style but she never tried them on. 

She was too short, too round, too childish, too scared. 

Julie never pushed her, she always gave her this weird, sad smile that made Susie feel bad and they would leave to meet her mom in the food court. 

But on the last day of summer, she hands Susie a purple dress and ignores her protests. She helps her put it on in the fitting room and with her hands on her shoulders she points out everything that looks nice about Susie. She can barely hear her as she focuses on how her shoulders are too wide for the thin straps, how the top of the dress is too loose and how the waist is too tight. 

She looks and feels like a child playing in her mom’s closet.

When she doesn’t reply, Julie trails off. She watches her for a second before telling her it’s okay and helps her out the dress. She gives Susie that weird, sad smile and they’re on their way.

That was the last time they went to the mall together.

With the end of summer, came the beginning of high school. With high school came growth and change. Or at least, it meant that for the others. 

Freshmen year was bearable. Julie made friends and Susie didn’t but Julie would invite her out to hang out with the older kids. They would refer to Susie as just Julie’s friend, never her name, and it always made her uncomfortable but she never corrected them. She felt like it wasn’t her place. She also didn’t want to risk Julie losing her new friends because of her.

So she stayed quiet, with Julie squeezing her hand.

Sophomore year started the same but escalated quickly when Julie began throwing parties. Her mom traveled a lot for work now, something she complained about constantly and the older kids suggested she take advantage of the empty house. So she did and since Julie was so popular, a lot of people showed up.

And since Julie was so beautiful, a lot of boys bought her beer.

And since Julie was so enchanting, Susie went along with everything without complaint.

Everyone would watch her dance, skin flushed and jeans tight, with a smile that was small, polite, and pretty. She danced on beat and held onto nothing but her drink, as hands would reach for her and try to hold tight. Julie would never stay in one spot long though, she’d always twirl away with a giggle barely leaving her lips. Susie would watch her dance, lipstick smudged and hair loose, with a smile that never quite reached her eyes. 

After everyone left, it would be the two of them and the mess Susie always stayed to help clean up. 

She would always stay after everyone else left and Julie would grab her hands, spinning her around. With the music long gone, their laughs echoed through the house along with the sound of empty cans and bottles they kicked. Even though the place reeked of cheap beer and sweat, and her ankles were begging for a break from the constant movement and shitty shoe support, Susie always looked forward to this part of the night. 

Susie would watch her dance erratically, heels long gone and sweat running down her forehead.

And when the last of her energy ran out, they would lay on the floor together, between all the cans and bottles, talking about everything and nothing. 

Susie would watch her talk about running away together, away from this town, her chest heaving and eyeliner running down her cheeks. 

The thought scared her, leaving so soon and so fast. Her family was nowhere near perfect but she didn’t know what she would do without her mom. Or what her mom would do without her. 

But she would never tell Julie no, because she didn’t know what she would do without her either. She didn’t know what she’d do if she had to see that weird, sad smile again. So she lied there and name towns with her. They would talk about their shared studio apartment and their future cat Josie (“It kind of sounds like our names mixed together!”Julie would reason). They would talk, and talk, and talk until Julie fell asleep using Susie’s shoulder as a pillow.

With light snoring in her ear, she stayed up a little longer and stared at the ceiling wondering if leaving really was that scary or if she was just being too cowardly. Too childish.

Too Susie.

She’d doze off without an answer and wake up late in the morning to bottles clinking and nearly full garbage bags being dragged across the floor. Wordlessly she’d get up and help Julie clean the mess they used as a stage and bed, knowing she would be back again soon with new towns and cat breeds.

Because if finding a new home together made Julie happy, Susie was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> im not a fan of how this came out but i worked too hard and too long on it to Not post it
> 
> tumblr @ mollymaukit


End file.
